


One Hell of a Christmas

by ThunderFrost2012



Series: Feathers&Flames [1]
Category: Muse
Genre: Archangels, Archdevils, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Tree, Gen, Heaven, Hell, Nemesis - Freeform, Prequel, pre slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-25
Updated: 2013-12-25
Packaged: 2018-01-06 00:26:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1100309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThunderFrost2012/pseuds/ThunderFrost2012
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s a very joyful day. That’s why a certain archangel decides to share it with someone very, very special, no matter if he agrees or doesn’t!</p>
            </blockquote>





	One Hell of a Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> Setting: prequel of ‘Change Everything you are’ (but it CAN be read even without knowing that long series), in Heaven and Hell.
> 
> Main Characters: Morgan and Tom (but Dom and Matt make a tiny appearance)  
> Disclaimers: I don’t own any of those characters, I just own my crazy mind XD
> 
> Thanks to my lovely betas, Alex aka_demon72 and Angela knightsblack , they're wonderful <3<3

~~Once again the most beautiful, serene and joyful time of the year was coming.  
All around Heaven there were angelic choruses that celebrated the joy of this event. All the celestial beings giggled and smiled placidly to each other, sharing the same happiness, and their good mood was contagious.

But maybe, even more than the day itself, Morgan liked all the atmosphere that foreran it. And it started several weeks before the 25th of December.

When curiosity took over Morgan and he temporarily went on Earth, he was so jubilant whenever he saw the humans permeated by more goodness , which could be found in every little but important good deed towards each other on within the genuine, sincere and warm smiles.

Lucky for Morgan, one of his ancestors, many years before had spread the motto ‘Around Christmas time everyone behaves’ and people respected it.  
Sure, it couldn’t last all year long, but it was better than nothing.

But that year Morgan wouldn’t have had time for paying a visit to humans.  
He had to work hard if he wanted to finish all the preparations.  
There was five days to Christmas.  
Morgan still had enough time to make it.

******************************** (In the meantime)

Once again, the most hated, tremendous and awful time of the year was coming.  
The King of Hell’s bad temper increased in direct proportion to the proximity of that awful day.  
And that had repercussions on his subjects’ attitude: every archdevil and devil grew angrier, more intolerant and irritable.  
The damned souls had to pay the highest price for that, no matter which Circle they belonged to, every single soul was mistreated with even more cruelty and merciless than usual, the only thing that seemed to improve the demons’ mood.

Tom wasn’t an exception, of course, and he always assured himself that his subordinates performed their duties.  
He enjoyed paying short visits to Earth, but during that time of the year he kept far away from there, sure that he would have only seen scenes so plentiful of affection, kindness and love to make him throw up.  
He preferred more transgressive and libertine festivities like Halloween or Carnival.  
Unluckily for Tom, many centuries ago, a plumed nosey parker from the High Levels had spread the habit of behaving better around Christmas time.  
Could there ever be something more absurd than that? And humans had even bought that crap!

However, Christmas was nothing more than a celebration, after all, so it would have passed.  
Tom just had to wait.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Do you need more decorations? I guess you had already a lot, why?” one of Morgan’s archangel brothers asked him.

“It’s only because this year I’m even happier than usual and I want my office to be an extension of my happiness.” Morgan shrewdly answered. “Is that too much to ask?” he added with fake concern in his voice.

“Not at all, my beloved brother. Here, take it and enjoy your time!” His interlocutor smiled at him, handing him the big box in his hands, which was full of almost all the stuff Morgan needed.

Satisfied, the blond went back to his office.  
Actually, his office wasn’t as decorated as he wanted to make everyone believe.  
Sure, there was a lot of stuff, but it was made for another place.  
That would be the last part of the stuff to add, it wouldn’t take him too long.  
There were still two days to Christmas. The first phase of his plan was done; second phase was to get permission to go to a certain place.

Congratulating himself for finding a brilliant excuse, Morgan left his office, locking it prudently.  
On his way to the Seventh Sky, the headquarters of the mightiest authorities, Morgan could hear from afar the umpteenth angelic chorus. The only difference was that this time it wasn’t as pleasant as the others to hear, there was something wrong with that.

“Oh, no, Dominic, you spoilt everything!” a male voice complained and Morgan recognized it as Nic’s.  
“My sweet friend, you are undoubtedly full of many virtues and talents, but singing isn’t one of them for sure.” a female voice added, in a kinder tone.  
“But... I...” Morgan  could clearly hear Dominic trail.  
“Nic and Gaia are right, Dominic. Go do something else and let us sing our songs properly!” another male angel, Yorke, said.  
“Dominic, don’t listen to them, you can remain here, actually I enjoy the way you sing, it’s so different and funnier.” Brandon tried to call him back but Dominic had already run away, crossing Morgan’s path.

“My dear sonny, what’s wrong?” the archangel murmured, caressing his cheek, in order to make Dominic tilt his head towards him.  
“I can’t express the joy I have in my heart, because I’m not worthy of it ...” the angel sighed, pouting.

Morgan knew very well that Heaven creatures were supposed to love each other the same way, but somehow Dominic had always been his favourite angel and he couldn’t stand to see him sad.

“Oh, dear, be sure that your heart is in tune, even if your mouth can’t be. And the Big Boss knows and appreciate that.” he comforted his subordinate.  
Pure joy resumed shining in his interlocutor’s eyes.  
“Oh, Archangel Morgan, do you really think so?” he asked him, with his tone full of expectations.  
“Of course, I do.” Morgan smiled sweetly at him.  
“Thank you. Now I guess I’ll go to the Garden of Peace to pray. It seems that no one is bothered if I do that.” Dom chuckled about it.  
“Very good choice, my dear.” the archangel approved.  
“And you? What are you doing? If I can ask you...” the angel wondered, curious.

“Well, I’ll probably be on a mission. It could take me a day or a bit more.” Morgan answered in utter sincerity.

**************************

During one of his reconnaissance routines, Tom bumped into Matthew.

“If you have to pop in and get sure that I’m doing my job, yes, I’m going to torture the last damned souls I conquered and I have every bloody intention of making that moment unforgettable!” his subordinate sneered, with a cruel light that shined in his eyes.

Tom smirked.  
It was useless to deny it. He was his favourite one and didn’t give a damn to hide that from everyone else. After all, their system wasn’t based on the principle of equality for sure!  
Everyone was free to display their own preferences, as well as their own antipathies.

Day after day, month after month, year after year and lustrum after lustrum, Matthew made Tom prouder and prouder. Tom was sure of that: the way things were going, one fine day that devil, so ambitious and so lacking of every scruple, would have superseded him.

Of course, only when Tom himself would have approved that from his own newly advanced career.

“Have fun, then… if you really manage to have fun in such a period of the year!” the archdevil grumbled.

“Yep, you know, I’d like to go up on Earth, maybe with Billie, Adam and Jess, so we could work hard in order to destroy all this obstinate sense of doing good… but I already know we would only waste time and energies!” Matt snorted.

“That’s it. You can’t even begin to think you can win when even our oh so powerful Big Boss can’t!” Tom reprimanded him.

“Lucky for me, there are still Black Masses. I really hope someone will invoke me there!” Matthew chuckled, already foretasting that eventuality.

“Okay, but now less day-dreams and more work! All your colleagues are already doing their duty!” Tom made him notice, severe and bossy.

“Phew, you’re such a fucking pain in the ass when you act like this! I’m going, I’m going…” Matt grumbled, pissed off, walking towards his area of the Circle of Lust.

That only amused Tom: sometimes he had the feeling that he was dealing with a spoiled and pestiferous child.

\---------------------------------------------------------------

The day after, at evening, coming back from his daily patrol, Tom couldn’t believe his eyes.

“You!? Here? How? Why?” he wondered.

“Four excellent questions.” Morgan replied very quietly. “Let’s try to find an answer for each of them: One: yes, me. Two: yes, here, and, trust me, I feel very misplaced, but I asked one of the guardians to bring me directly here, I didn’t want to wander around such a dark and gloomy place. Three: I have my secrets. Four: I have very important motivations.”

“Such as?” Tom asked, curiously.

“Let me in and I’ll show you.” Morgan smirked.

In over five centuries, Tom had rarely seen his nemesis act like that.

That’s why he opened his office, letting him in.

“No one is going to reach you here, right?” The blond assured himself.

“Are you kidding? No one is so stupid and unwary to stand close to me during this period. Well, I see that someone is!” The brunet chuckled. “You haven’t told me yet why you are here.” he reiterated.

“What? Am I not allowed to miss my favourite nemesis?” Morgan shrugged.

“I am your only nemesis!” Tom struck back.

“See? A reason more to be my favourite one!” the blond winked at him. “So are we utterly alone?” He wondered again.

Tom stared mischievously at him.

“Yep, my impatient One-Thousand Feathers. Whatever you want to happen here will be just a secret between you and me.” He smirked in a sexy way, while he was about to caress his guest’s face.

Morgan immediately backed off, ignoring that embarrassing misunderstanding.

“Alright. So I can finally start!” he cheered, snapping his fingers and making a big box full of colourful stuff appear.

He had prudently hidden it with his magic, waiting for the proper moment to reveal everything.

Glancing at it, Tom caught a glimpse of what seemed to be a synthetic fir, strange statuettes, cardboard comets and every type of decorations.

Horrified, the archdevil realised everything.

“Don’t you bloody dare!”

“I’m already daring!” Morgan struck back, pulling out from the box the fir and fixing it on the floor.

“What the fuck is that?” Tom growled.

“A Christmas tree!” the blond shrugged with nonchalance.

“I know that, you, ninny! But why is it... pink?” the brunet roared again.  
“Well, it’s such a cute colour!” Morgan beamed.  
Tom grabbed his pitchfork.  
“Change it or I’m going to burn it!” he warned his nemesis.  
“What about white?” the archangel asked, touching the tree and turning it white.  
“Red!” Tom ordered with rage, while his pitchfork was already emitting the fist sparks.

“No way! Let’s make it green. My last offer. Red wouldn’t make the statuettes set off!” Morgan objected, making the fir become green.

Tom raised his eyebrow, suspiciously.  
“What statuettes?”  
“These ones!” The blond giggled, drawing them out of the box. “I made them on my own.” He informed his nemesis, handing the first statuette to him.

“So do you really think I’ll allow you to hang something like... this?” Tom snapped, pointing at a statuette picturing a brunet archdevil giving a gift box to a blond archangel.

“I should have foreseen that you wouldn’t like it.” Morgan pouted. “What about this one?” He asked, showing him another statuette, this time picturing said archdevil and archangel holding a star from opposite sides.

“Try harder, Morgy!” The other barked.

“This one?” Morgan tried again.

Tom studied the statuette picturing the same characters as they were making a snowman.

“And I’ll tell you more: the archdevil even gets its soul at the very end.” Morgan added, making the other smile.

“Okay, you can hang these ones.” Tom agreed.

“And you surely will enjoy this one!” Morgan winked at him, showing the last type of statuettes, picturing the archdevil hurting the archangel with his pitchfork and burning his wing.

“I do really like this one!” The archdevil sneered with delight.

“I knew you would, that’s why I made fifteen statuettes of that kind!” Morgan rolled his eyes, before starting to hang all the allowed statuettes.

Tom eyed diffidently at the box.

“If inside that there’s even a sodding nativity scene...” he said, his voice revealing the poison of his disgust.” I swear that I’ll crucify you!” he threatened his counterpart.

Morgan just burst out laughing.

“Don’t worry, there’s no nativity scene. I know what my limits are. But thanks anyway, it’s nice of you to want to make me experience what my Big Boss’ son went through.”

“But... I didn’t fucking mean to be nice. I wanted to terrify you!” The archdevil protested indignantly.

“Oh, I know. And you’re oh so cute whenever you try!”

“Can you just not say that sodding word?”

“Okay, but now keep silent and let me work.” Morgan stated, before casting a challenging look towards him. “Unless you want to help me...”

Tom laughed bitterly.

“Help you?! Never!”

\-----------------------------------------------------------

“Do you think it’s the right place for the comet stars?” Tom asked Morgan, excitedly, floating on the roof with said decorations.

“Yep , just move the last one more on the right.” Morgan instructed him.

They had been working together for more than three hours straight and the more his office was filled with stuff, the happier Tom became.

“Now come here and help me, there’s the best part: we’ll put the festoons around the tree!” Morgan called him, drawing out some very peculiar festoons.

“But... they are made of feathers!” Tom commented, touching them and enjoying the softness. “Did you make them?” he wondered.

“Let’s say that for a while ‘One-Thousand-Feathers’ won’t be the most proper name to call me with!” he revealed, displaying his wings that seemed to be less bushy.

“Oh.” Tom murmured, very impressed, before arranging those special festoons.

“Okay, we’re  missing just one thing.” Morgan said, walking towards his box. “The honour is yours.” He smiled, putting in Tom’s hands the last decoration: a devil’s tail shaped tree topper.

Tom bit his inner cheeks not to squeal softened and flew over the top of the tree, fixing that important decoration.  
Once he landed on the floor, Morgan almost ran into him, hyper excited.

“Oh, Tommy, it’s past midnight, I haven’t even realized it. Merry Christmas!” He beamed, trying to hug him, but Tom backed off.

“Don’t say such words in my territory. Never ever!” He summoned the blond.

“Oh, c’mon, there’s no way you can spoil this precious day to me. This is for you!” The archangel giggled, making appear a little wrapped box from nowhere and handing it to the brunet.

“But... I didn’t buy you a gift!”

“Your gift for me will be your joy when you open my gift!” Morgan smiled.

“I’ll never give you that joy. I don’t want your gift!” Tom snapped.

“Then my gift for you will be to accept your will of rejecting it.” Morgan explained.

“So, whatever I do, will you end up being joyful anyway, right?” Tom grumbled and the other nodded with a huge grin.

“So I’d better make profit of this situation!” The archdevil retorted, snatching the gift from the blond’s hands.

He opened the box, revealing a beautiful red lamp, pitchfork shaped.

“Oh, Morgy, it’s amazing!” Tom grinned. “It will help me see better my soul contracts if I work at night.” he added evilly.

“There would be hardly five sheets on that desk!” Morgan made fun of him.

“That’s what you think!” Tom struck back, but the blond didn’t give much importance to his words.

“However, it’s such a beautiful gift ... and I know I shouldn’t give a damn , but... it’s stronger than me, I want to give you something, too.” Tom mumbled, feeling very awkward.

“Well, you could give me Henry’s soul and set him free for your centuries-old imprisonment...” Morgan hazarded.

“You wish!” Tom laughed of him.

“Well, yes, I really wish!”

“Stay here. I’ll be right back.” Tom ordered, leaving his office and leaving Morgan dumbfounded.

After a few minutes he went back, holding a luxury golden cage.

“He was around enjoying his stroll...” Tom explained.

“But... it’s Showbiz!” Morgan said, surprised, staring at the marvellous black raven with silver eyes.

He knew Tom was fond of his pet.

“Yep, it’s him. You softened whenever I talked about him, so... you can keep it. For a week, I mean! That’s my gift.” he explained.

“Oh, Tommy, I...” Morgan beamed.

“I mean, I want him to give you a very hard time and wreak havoc in your goody-goody Realm. That’s my real gift!” Tom rushed to add, while Morgan had opened the cage and was about to caress the raven.

“I wouldn’t do that. Showbiz has a very bad temper, he’s crabby, indomitable...” Tom warned his counterpart, but he was already caressing the raven.  
The bird just tilted his head and spread his wings to enjoy better those sweet attentions.

“Oh, yes, he’s very indomitable.” Morgan repeated, sardonic.

“You, dirty betrayer!” Tom whispered to Showbiz, glaring at him indignantly.

“Well, I guess I’ll keep him far away from Shine. You know, I’d like my nightingale to keep maintaining his candid purity.” Morgan explained.

“Just like his owner, right?” Tom struck back, snorting.

“Thanks again for your... temporary gift , Tom. But now I really have to go.” Morgan said, pouting a little bit.

“Well, at least let me walk you out until the edge of the Realm, you know... so I can spend more time with Showbiz!” Tom babbled and the archangel accepted his offer.

“Now you can tell me, how did you manage to get a permission to visit Hell?” Tom interrogated him.

After their mission, during all those centuries, they both had several secret short meetings at Purgatory, their neutral territory. During those meetings they did nothing but annoy each other, because it was something that amused both the supernatural creatures.  
But neither of them had ever dared to step foot on the enemy Realm. There were specific laws about that issue.

“Well, I told the Upper Levels that I wanted to claim my rights over a soul.” Morgan revealed.

“Shrewd.”  Tom clapped his hands to him. “But something tells me that there’s a hidden truth in this excuse.”

“Huh?”

 “Fresh news, blondie: I happen to know which soul you’re observing and I could put my clutch on it very soon!” Tom revealed, while pure evilness shined in his dark eyes.

“You... you’re bluffing!” Morgan accused him, very uptight.

“We’ll see that!” Tom sneered.

Unfortunately, they had reached the edge.

“Oh, Morgy, I guess you forgot a very important decoration.” Tom said, in order to break their sudden silence.  
“What?” Morgan frowned.

“Mistletoe. You know, I wouldn’t have mind some...” he said, miming the act of kissing.

Morgan blushed and faded away, without any further word.

\---------------------------------------------------------

“Archangel Morgan!” Dominic ran into him, on Christmas Day, around midday. “I know it’s not nice to gossip, but everyone is talking about that. Is it true that you descended to Hell?” The angel hazarded to ask him.

“It’s correct, sonny. I had a mission there.” Morgan remained vague.

“And... how is it?” Dominic grew curios.

“Oh, worse than you can ever guess. You couldn’t stand even the view of such a horrible place.”

“I know, it’s because I don’t have all your experience and wisdom yet. But one day I hope I’ll be strong and brave like you, so I can face that grimy and gloomy place of perdition and eternal suffering in the name of right principles, such as yours.” Dominic declared, staring at his mentor as if he was his personal hero ... which he actually was.

“Well, Dominic, I hope you won’t have exactly my same principles...” Morgan grumbled.

\-------------------------------------------------------------

On St. Stephen’s day, Matthew was telling Tom about the Black Mass he had taken part to, in every detail.

“It looks like you enjoyed yourself.” Tom commented.

“Well, so-and-so. It was just a bunch of newbies, they didn’t even slit a chicken’s throat!” the devil complained, making Tom laugh. “But the orgy was really fun!” he sneered, satisfied.

“Probably you’ll have better ones!” Tom cheered him up.

“I hope so. The most important thing is that finally the sodding Christmas time is over!” he asserted, before leaving.

Tom went back to his office, opened the door he had prudently locked and sat at his desk.

“Geez, there are really hardly five sheets!” he thought out loud, examining his few contracts. In order to see better, he switched the new lamp on, which beamed with his red light all around the still ornamented office.  
He smiled.

-You’re wrong, Matthew, Christmas time is not that horrible, after all!-

THE END

**Author's Note:**

> LOL, I know I have a real obsession with Christmas threes, it wasn’t enough the one with leopard printed baubles, zetas festoons and glittery toppers of another old fic XD
> 
> About the part when angel!Dom is kicked out of the chorus (see? Even angels can be mean and bastards sometimes XD ), well, it was inspired by the ‘Blackout’ recording session, poor our little Dommeh with his heart in tune! *O*
> 
> I know everyone is wondering how to invoke devil!Matt XD Not that I have ever tried, but I guess you need a glittery red candle, some bananas to offer to him as sacrifice and, for good measures, just take all the ‘r’ out of your formula, I mean.. youw fowmula XD
> 
> Craziness aside, I really hope you liked it and have fun. If you find the time to let me know it would be an amazing Christmas’ gift ^^ (sure, also late Christams, I know how messy these days are XDD ) 
> 
> MERRY CHRISTMAS to everyone!!! <3


End file.
